The human cost of the heatwaves are higher than the temperature
Thousands are dying in the heatwaves smothering Europe. More than 2,800 people died from heat-related causes in England and Wales during May and June alone. That is almost twice the number of heat-related deaths recorded in total last year.
With temperatures in England reaching a staggering 38 degrees last week, this figure is expected to rise.
Clare is a paramedic based in London, she spoke to Socialist Worker about the impact of the heatwave on an already stretched NHS.
“We’re seeing a rise in admissions from those who are particularly vulnerable to the heat,” she said. “It’s especially among older and disabled people and those living with chronic conditions.
“For years now we’ve been seeing the NHS under increasing pressure.
“It means when things like this happen—whether it’s extreme heat or a wave of a new virus—the system has no capacity to deal with the demand.
“On top of this, hospitals are struggling to discharge people because there is not enough social care provision available to look after them safely in the community.”
She said that one of the biggest reasons people end up in hospital is that “the social care system is broken”.
“We need more staff at all levels from medical care to social care.”
Politicians look at the impact of the heatwaves in terms of lost working hours, damaged infrastructure and the financial fallout.
But Clare also pointed out that there has been no investment in hospital infrastructure to prepare them for extreme heat.
“Many hospital buildings are falling apart and are barely being held together, they’re not fit for purpose.
“They’re dangerously hot to the point where workers are really struggling to even get through their shift,” she said.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union has reported that members are collapsing on shift while patients are “suffering” in facilities “not fit for humans”.
The RCN said some workers left work dizzy, nauseous or at risk of fainting. Many are sweating “from head to toe” while working.
At the same time, they are expected to keep elderly and vulnerable patients safe and ensure medicines are kept at the correct temperatures.
As A&E departments face one of their busiest summers, social care workers are also being pushed to their limits.
Samuel is a “mobile” care worker in London. He is employed to support vulnerable people in elderly care homes, assisted living homes and in their homes.
He said care workers are seeing first hand the consequences of a system that is completely unprepared for soaring temperatures.
“You notice it most when working with elderly people who are living alone in their own home,” he told Socialist Worker.
“The biggest thing we’re seeing is people not drinking water throughout the day.
“Older people don’t feel the heat in the same way as young people. Many elderly people I support rely on someone being around to prompt them to drink regularly.
“But if they are only receiving a visit once or twice a day—or even less—then that’s not happening consistently,” he said.
“The houses these people live in can get to temperatures of over 35 degrees. If people are not hydrating then they are at risk of overheating.
“It’s not the heat by itself that is the problem, it’s how it triggers other issues. For example, if someone has epilepsy, extreme heat for a prolonged amount of time increases the chance of seizures.”
He explained that this is why the condition of people’s homes matters.
“Many people’s homes are not designed to cope with extreme heat,” he said.
“We urgently need changes to be made to homes if we’re going to protect people from what is likely going to be an annual phenomenon.”
The government’s own climate advisers have warned that care homes need major adaptations over the next decade. But Samuel says they need this now—not in ten years’ time.
“None of the care homes that I’ve worked in have air conditioning. That’s really going to have to change,” he said.
“These care homes were purpose-built to keep the hot air in because they were built at a time when this sort of heat was not something that happened annually.
“They’re built like insulating boxes to capture and keep the heat inside so that the residents don’t get cold overnight.
“But it means that during the heatwaves, working and living there has been unbearable.”
He explained, “Our job involves lifting people, helping them wash, moving them between beds and chairs, and providing personal care. In extreme temperatures, all of that becomes harder.
“On top of that, you’re wearing Personal Protective Equipment, which is basically covering yourself in plastic.
“The heat makes you feel physically sick, especially as many of the carers I work with are actually older themselves. Most of them are in their early or late fifties.
“Working in that heat for them is not safe either,” he said. “It can be really rough, especially because it is such a physical job.
“We’re not really given time to recover either—we’re only allocated 15 minute breaks.”
The pressure to make care more “efficient” only makes the situation worse, according to Samuel. Workers are being pushed to give personal care as quickly as possible.
He said, “The model of social care is built around doing more with less.
“What we’re seeing a lot during this heatwave is that people are making mistakes because they’re suffering from heat exhaustion, especially around moving and handling medications.
“Even without the heat, we were already being pushed to our limits.”
Samuel argued that this is where the climate crisis and the crisis in social care collide.
He said, “Both crises are driven by a system that treats people and the environment as things to be squeezed for as much as possible, extracting everything until there’s nothing left.”
Andy Burnham promised to grapple with “the bigger questions” of climate adaptation. But even as forest fires destroy homes in the West Midlands, he’s remained quiet.
The best Burnham has offered up in recent weeks was a potential ban on disposable barbecues.
Even some of his own MPs have aired their concerns that he isn’t acting with the urgency that the situation requires.
“I’m so angry that Burnham has refused to say that he would rule out renewing drilling for oil in the North Sea,” Samuel said.
“I honestly don’t know how he can look at what’s going on and even consider it. There’s thousands that have died this summer as a consequence of people making those kinds of choices.”
But the government cannot pretend that extreme heat is an unforeseeable emergency. The climate crisis is here.
It is already forecasted that next summer heat could be intensified by a looming “super El Niño” event.
The question now is whether the resources will be made available to protect people from it.
That means properly funding the NHS and social care. It means making sure there are enough people employed to care for people properly.
And crucially, it means adapting homes, hospitals and care homes before the next heatwave hits.
If we fail to act, the next heatwave will again bring more admissions, more exhausted workers, more isolated vulnerable people—and more deaths.
There is nothing inevitable about that. But we can be sure that it will take serious action to tackle the effects of climate breakdown and stop it from becoming even more deadly.
When temperatures rise, the richest can retreat to air-conditioned homes, escape to cooler places and pay for private care.
Meanwhile, the poorest, the elderly and disabled people are far more likely to be trapped in overheated homes, isolated from help and dependent on services that are already stretched.
For those who live alone, isolation can itself have deadly consequences.
A heatwave can mean people end up spending days inside an overheated home without anyone noticing that they are becoming unwell.
Re-engage is a charity dedicated to reducing loneliness in older people aged over 75.
Jess Doyle, head of policy, research and consultancy at Re-engage, told Socialist Worker that heatwaves can push already isolated people further away from their communities.
“Loneliness is known to contribute to various health conditions including heart attack and stroke and the risk becomes greater during hot weather,” she said.
“Extremely hot weather can make older people more isolated and vulnerable as they won’t want to go out, even for short periods.
“Even during temperate times many of them will not see or hear from anyone else for days or even weeks. So it’s important for neighbours, friends and family to check on them if possible when there are severe weather conditions.”
Re-engage has been supporting older people through the extreme weather with activity groups and telephone befriending.
Jess said that even simple contact can make a difference.
“When we’re younger and busy, with work and family, it’s hard to imagine a time when you might be alone in later life.
“But reaching retirement age can bring great changes, a smaller social circle and more time on your hands.
“Being alone can exacerbate the feeling of being cut off from the rest of the world—and being uncomfortable during a heatwave will certainly not help.”
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